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Stanford Signs Three Top Recruits

Stanford, Calif.-- Stanford Women's Rowing Coach, Yaz Farooq, has announced the signing of three recruits to national letters of intent. Pia Hauch, Maura Moran and Katie White will join the Cardinal for the start of the 2007-08 Season.

'It takes a special student-athlete that can excel at Stanford both academically and on the water,' said Farooq. 'Pia, Maura and Katie have shown that they are exceptional individual achievers and team players. They will fit perfectly with our current team. All of us are excited about them coming onboard.'

At 5-11, Pia Hauch comes to the Cardinal from Bentley High School in Lafayette, CA and is team co-captain of the Oakland Strokes, a national powerhouse junior rowing program. Hauch won a silver medal in the varsity eight at the 2006 USRowing National Youth Championships. In 2006, her team also won the Peabody Cup for the junior eight at the prestigious Henley Women's Regatta.

'Stanford will afford me amazing opportunities, both academically and athletically,' Hauch said. 'With the strong faculty and coach mentors, I can't wait to see what I can do.'

'Pia's coaches told us that she was everything we could possibly want in a rower, and that became very apparent as we got to know her,' Farooq noted. 'She is professional, hardworking, and a leader--she is going to excel at Stanford in many ways.'

Maura Moran hails from Paradise Valley, Arizona, and is a coxswain for the Rio Salado Rowing Club in Tempe. She is a peer leadership specialist who spends over 350 hours a year mentoring teens.

'With Stanford's academic opportunities, a great rowing program is the icing on the cake,' Moran said. 'I am confident I will thrive surrounded by the student-athletes that are as dedicated to intellectual growth as improving athletic skill.'

'I worked with Maura for two years prior to coaching at Stanford,' Farooq said. Maura is an incredibly intelligent person and an extremely talented strategist in the boat. She's a psychologist who knows how to get into the rowers' heads and how to extract great performances from them. She will definitely support this team's new direction.'

Katie White, at 5-11, is a student at Saint Ignatius College Prep who plans to pursue a career in journalism at Stanford. A member of the California Scholarship Federation, White has been on the President's Honor Roll every semester at Saint Ignatius and is an editor of the school's literary magazine and newspaper. She also reports for Fast Forward, a children's magazine with a distribution of 20,000.

White is third-year rower for the Marin Rowing Association, one of the nations most successful junior rowing programs. Her boat finished 5th overall in the varsity eight at the 2006 USRowing National Youth Championships

'I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to attend Stanford and row for top-notch coaches,' White said. 'I am looking forward to a remarkable combination of challenging classes taught by great professors, a strong and successful crew program, a beautiful campus, and perfect weather. I can't wait to join the Cardinal team!'

'We found out about Katie rather late in the recruiting season, and I'm so glad we did,' Farooq said. 'When I saw her row I knew she was a boat mover. Academically, she is committed to journalism and will be able to pursue it at the highest level here at Stanford. Katie is an example of how opportunities find people who work hard and intelligently. She'll make a difference here.'

Stanford's 2007 spring season will start at the San Diego Crew Classic on March 31st.